U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,318 discloses a machine, especially a slip ring, with a machine part which is supported in a second machine part. In this case the two machine parts are able to be rotated relative to each other around a common axis of rotation. A number of light-emitting diodes are attached in this case to the rotating machine part and emit light for data transmission through different optical channels to photodetectors which are arranged on the stationary machine part. The light is emitted in such cases in the radial direction in relation to the axis of rotation of the machine and forms a continuous ring which is used for the data transmission.
DE 34 09 809 A1 discloses a transmit and/or receive apparatus for electromagnetic radiation, in which optical signals are used to transmit data between a rotatable and a stationary area of a transmit and/or receive apparatus. This patent discloses an optical waveguide splitter with the aid of which optical signals can be transmitted from one or more optoelectrical converter(s) into an optical waveguide or out of said waveguide.